


The Pony Problem

by rainbowgoddess



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-18
Updated: 2011-06-18
Packaged: 2017-10-20 12:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowgoddess/pseuds/rainbowgoddess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grace wants a pony. Steve wants Danny. Somehow, they both get what they want.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pony Problem

When Danny walked in to Five-0 headquarters that morning, Steve could tell that his partner was in a bad mood. "What's wrong?"

"Grace wants a pony for her birthday. Where am I supposed to get a pony — assuming Rachel even lets her keep it? I mean, yeah, she and Stan have a big house, but they don't exactly have a stable or anything."

"Could you get her, I don't know, riding lessons or something?" Steve asked.

Danny sighed. "She has her heart set on a pony."

A few hours later, Steve approached Danny. "I have an idea," he said. "I know someone who might be able to solve your pony problem. Come with me."

The two of them drove along some long, winding road that ended at a small farm, where Steve introduced Danny to a man Danny assumed to be the farmer. "This is my friend Al," Steve said. "Al, this is my partner, Danny Williams. Danny's little girl wants a pony for her birthday."

Al smiled broadly. "I think I have just the right pony," he said. "Gentle as a lamb, and loves kids."

Danny pulled Steve aside. "What are you doing?" he hissed. "I can't afford to buy a horse, and I already told you that Rachel and Stan don't have anywhere to keep one."

"Don't worry," Steve said. "Things will work out. You'll see."

Al led them back to a large, grassy area where horses and ponies were grazing. "I rescue them," he explained. "Sometimes when a kid outgrows their pony, they stop taking care of it. Or they go off to college and can't take their horse with them. The animals get neglected. They need someone to take care of them, and most of all to love them." He whistled, and a pinto pony walked up to the fence to get its head scratched. "Meet Zack. I think he'd be perfect for your little girl."

"Yeah, about that," Danny said. "I don't know what my partner told you, but I don't have anywhere to keep a pony, and neither do Grace's mother and stepfather.".

"Tell you what," Al said. "Zack can stay right here. You pay for his care, and your daughter can come out here to see him. I have a few volunteers who give riding lessons to kids and teach them how to take care of horses. The kids learn responsibility, and the animals get the love and attention they need."

Steve nudged Danny. "I'll chip in for the cost," he said. "I like what Al does here for the animals. And Gracie's worth it."

Danny didn't know why Steve was offering to help pay for the pony, but he wasn't going to argue. He signed the papers and wrote a cheque for the first month of the pony's care. Steve wrote a cheque for the second month.

On their way back to Five-0, Danny said, "Hey, uh — thank you. Thanks for finding the pony, and for helping to pay for it."

"You're welcome," Steve said with a smile.

The next day Steve and Danny picked up Grace from school.  
"Daddy! Uncle Steve!" Grace ran to greet her father and his partner. "Why are you here, Uncle Steve?"

"Because it's your birthday, Gracie. Your Dad and I have a surprise for you," Steve told her.

They took her back to Danny's to change out of her school uniform, and then they drove out to the farm. When they reached the farm, a volunteer led Zack the pony out of the paddock. Grace stared at the pony in wide-eyed wonder. "Can I pet him?" she asked.

"He's yours, honey," Danny told her. "This is Zack, and he's your pony."

Grace threw her arms around her father's neck. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Danny laughed and returned the embrace. "Thank Steve too. He found Zack for you."

Grace hugged Steve. "Thanks, Uncle Steve!"

One of the volunteers helped Grace put a saddle on Zack, and then led the pony around with Grace on his back. She was obviously thrilled to have her own pony.

"I can't thank you enough, Babe," Danny said to Steve as they watched. "I think you've made Grace the happiest little girl in the world right now."

After Grace's first riding lesson, they took her back to Steve's house for a birthday party with Chin, Kono and Kamekona. She was disappointed to not be able to bring Zack with her, but Danny promised to take her to see her pony every weekend she was with him, and he'd extracted a promise from Rachel and Stan to take her after school for her riding lessons.

Eventually the others started to leave, and before long Grace was asleep on the couch, clutching a stuffed pony Kono had given her. Danny went to gather her up to take her home, but Steve stopped him. "Why don't you both just stay here? It's a big house. There's plenty of room. Then we can have a beer, and you don't need to worry about driving home."

This sounded like a good idea to Danny. Steve got clean sheets from the closet, and they made up the bed in Mary Ann's old room. Grace didn't even wake up as Danny put her to bed and kissed her goodnight.

As Steve watched them, he thought about the feelings he'd been having for Danny over the past few months. Seeing Danny with Grace in his house made him wonder about families, and wish that he, Grace and Danny could be a family — that they could be _'ohana._

The two men had their beer and talked into the night. Somehow they never ran out of things to talk about. In spite of their differences, they'd somehow become extremely close to each other.

With a yawn, Danny put down his beer. "Okay, where's my room?" he asked. "I think it's past my bedtime."

 _It's now or never,_ Steve thought. "Actually..... I was wondering something."

"Wondering what, Babe?"

"Look, this is kind of out of left field, I guess. I just.... You know, the reason I helped you get the pony for Gracie is because I care a lot about her, and I like to make her happy, but I also like to make you happy. And making Grace happy makes you happy."

Danny stared at him. "I have no idea what you're getting at here."

"Would you sleep with me tonight?" Steve blurted.

"Depends why you're asking," Danny said after a moment's thought. "Is it because you don't have another spare room made up, because you want a one-night stand, because you're lonely and you miss Rambo-ette...?"

"Because I love you," Steve said. "I love you, and I love Gracie almost like she's my own daughter. I would buy her a million ponies if I could. I have this big house, and it's too empty. Having you and Grace here all the time, instead of just tonight.... It would make me as happy as that pony made her."

A grin spread across Danny's face. "You're amazing, you know that? All this time, you could have said something. You didn't have to buy my daughter a pony just to get me to move in with you."

"I didn't exactly buy her a pony," Steve pointed out.

"No, but I'm sure you would have if you could." Danny pulled Steve down to his level and kissed him.

"Is that a yes?" Steve asked hopefully.

Another grin from Danny. "It's a yes. Yes, I will move in with you. And yes, before you ask, I love you, too. Now let's go to bed, but be quiet about it so we don't wake up our daughter."


End file.
